


Say...

by Taz



Series: Methos's Journal [2]
Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: Highlander - Freeform, Historical, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-22
Updated: 2009-11-22
Packaged: 2017-10-03 14:22:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taz/pseuds/Taz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A page of Methos's journal, written by his hand on the 12th day of the Month of Simanu in the year 424 AN.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Say...

_This fragment of writing was recently attributed to the Immortal Methos, by Dr. C. Swifford, citing the contents and the use of certain anachronisms as evidence. Recovered from a dump in the northern Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus, it was brought to the attention of the Society of Watchers courtesy of our agent in the Oxyrhynchus Papyrus Imaging Project who noticed that it was written in an obscure dialect of Ugaric particular to the city of Tyre. Our agent further noted the anomalous support. It had been written on a hemp based paper that adjusted radio-carbon dating gives a range of late 4th century ( ±50). While theoretically possible, this would make it a unique survivor. Pierson asserts that uniqueness is not a reason to link it to Methos and is challenging both the attribution and the date._

 

 ...cries of fear and &lt; lamentation &gt;. I cropped my hair, that it should be seen I mourned, and &lt; climbed &gt; Etemenanki.1 There was none to oppose me, all work2 ceased while the world held its breath.

I expected to have the heights to myself, but at the seventh level I came upon one of the Chaldean3 astrologers and startled him so that he dropped his tablet and stylus.

I should have guessed that at this time, of all times, the magi would be here, their most holy place, &lt; searching the heavens &gt; for signs and portents. Belphantes4, of course, was at the palace, but I remembered this one, young, with the great dark eyes of the Medes5, scowling among the priests of Oromasdes6, scandalized by the boorish manners of the barbarians.

I said—the Megas7 Alexandros is dead.

He said, he knew. He had seen an eagle fall out of the sky. It was a sign that the time of Areimanios8 is to come. There were tears on his cheeks. His hand trembled as he bent to pick up the pieces of his tablet.

I told him—look toward the Ishtar Gate9. It is still a thing of beauty. Beyond it, see Arakhtu10. Remember Babilu11 in the days of Nebuchadnezzar12. He, too, ordered the rebuilding of Etemenanki.

I said—the Gate of Heaven13 will endure. It is true the son of Ammon is dead but Perdiccas14 has his ring and I expect tomorrow to be much like yesterday. We mortals can only know the will of Father Zurvan15 in the course of time.

My words comforted him. The Son of Ammon16 died in the third watch. We waited together until the sun went down and saw a bolt of lightening strike the ground just as it vanished. He wrote that on his broken tablet.

He said—it is a sign. This day will be remembered.

I said—it will depend on the use &lt; history &gt; can make of it.

The comet in whose tail I have been riding has run its course. In all genius, and I cannot deny he was a genius, there is an element of &lt; artifice &gt;. The successful politician, the great teacher, the athlete, the divine—all hide behind a mask, choosing their moment to reveal. In no exceptional human being will the impulse be stronger than in the man who must carry forward others to risk their lives. Say what you will, it was a grand performance. There may never be another like it.

We descended Etemenanki together. I took him to my room and enjoyed him. Some say that since the days of Cyrus17 one man’s Mede may as well be another man’s Persian, but I have always thought the Medes &lt; an especially handsome &gt; people. His name is Siavosh.18

He is sleeping. In the temples the sacred fires have been extinguished. But there is always traffic going in and out the eight gates of the city—on foot, by mule, on horseback— this week the chariots of the physicians who discovered a sudden pressing need to travel—the merchant caravans—the riders carrying messages to the Satraps…

Perdiccas has his ring. We will see if he keeps it.

Written by my hand on the 12th day of the Month of Simanu in the year 424 AN

 

_Notes:_

_1) Etemenanki -- the great ziggurat south of the Esagila temple complex in Babylon dedicated to the god Marduk. There is evidence that it was in existence during the time of Hamurabi (1792-1750 BC). Etemenanki was seven stories, 91 meters high, with a sacrificial platform on top and was, most likely, the inspiration for the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel._

_2) During his first stay in Babylon in 331, Alexander ordered restoration work on the Esagila complex, including Etemenanki. The order had not been carried out while he was campaigning in India and when he returned to Babylon in 323, he ordered it resumed._

_3) Roman and later authors used the name ‘Chaldean’ for Babylonian astrologers and mathematicians. Also called Magi, they observed the skies, collected data, discovered regularities, and warned the authorities when they knew something bad was about to happen. They recorded their observation in the Astronomical Diaries and with better PR would be credited with developing the Scientific Method._

_4) Belphantes (or xxx) one of the Magi mentioned by name in the Astronomical Diaries, that collection of Babylonian texts written in cuneiform that recorded astronomical observations and political events, including the death of Alexander the Great. When Alexander entered Babylon, his scientific advisor, Callisthenes of Olynthus, had the cuneiform tablets translated and sent copies to his uncle, the philosopher Aristotle of Stagira._

_5) Medes – established the first Iranian empire in northwestern Iran. It was the largest empire of its day until Cyrus the Great assimilated them into the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Something he did so completely that there is not a single Median monument or inscription that can be identified—although modern day Kurds consider themselves the descendents of the Medes._

_6) Oromasdes – Ohrmuzd, also Ahura Mazda. See Zurvan._

_7) Megas Alexandros – Alexander the Great, the most successful military commander in history._

_8) Areimanios – Ahriman, also Angra Mainu. See Zurvan._

_9) Ishtar Gate – the most spectacular of the eight gates in the wall that ringed the perimeter  wall of Babylon. The Gate was constructed of blue glazed tiles with alternating rows of bas relief dragons and bulls. The roof and doors of the gate were made of cedar. A reconstruction of the Gate was built at the Pergamon Musuem in Berlin in the 1920’s using original material excavated between 1902 and 1914._

_10) In 689 BC, the walls, temples and palaces of Babylon were razed to the ground by order of the Assyrian king Sennacherib and the rubbish was thrown into Arakhtu, the ancient canal bordering the oldest part of Babylon on the south._

_11) Babilu – Greek variant of the Akkadian name of Babylon. (See ‘Gate of Heaven’)_

_12) Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC) made Babylon into one of the wonders of the ancient world. He ordered the complete reconstruction of the imperial grounds, including rebuilding the Etemenanki ziggurat and the construction of the Ishtar Gate. Of Etemenanki he said, “I made it, the wonder of the people of the world, I raised its top to heaven, made doors for the gates, and I covered it with bitumen and bricks."_

_13) Gate of Heaven or Gateway to the God –  the Sumerian meaning of the name Babylon. The first dated mention of Babylon is on a tablet from the reign of Sargon of Akkad (2400 BC). It was the holy city of the Sumerian Empire from about 2300 BC. Most of the existing remains lie on the east bank of the Euphrates 50 miles south of Baghdad. In 1985 Saddam Hussein started rebuilding the city on top of the old ruins, using millions on part restoration, part new construction, to the dismay of archaeologists, with his name inscribed on many of the bricks, in imitation of Nebuchadnezzar. The bricks are now collectors items. More damage occurred during the most recent unpleasantness when the site was used as a military camp for the American and Polish armies. Dick Chaney and the executives of Halliburton should be prosecuted for crimes against world culture._

_14) Perdiccas – one of Alexander’s most important generals. He became head of the Companion Calvary when Hephaestion died and was named guardian and regent of the empire on Alexander’s death. His attempt to consolidate his position too quickly by marrying Alexander’s sister Cleopatra alienated potential allies. He was out maneuvered by Ptolemy and assassinated by his own officers._

_15) Zurvan –  primordial god of the Persian sect of Zoroastrianism. He is the god of infinite time and space. In the beginning, the great God Zurvan existed alone. Desiring offspring that would create 'heaven and hell and everything in between,' Zurvan sacrificed for a thousand years. Towards the end of this period, androgyne Zurvan began to doubt the efficacy of sacrifice and in the moment of this doubt Ohrmuzd and Ahriman were conceived: Ohrmuzd for the sacrifice and Ahriman for the doubt. [Yes, it’s MPREG!] Upon realizing that twins were to be born, Zurvan resolved to grant the first-born sovereignty over creation. Ohrmuzd perceived Zurvan's decision, which he then communicated to his brother. Ahriman preempted Ohrmuzd by ripping open the womb and emerged first. Reminded of his decision to grant Ahriman sovereignity, Zurvan conceded, but limited kingship to a period of 9000 years, after which Ohrmuzd would rule for all eternity. Zurvanism was the state religion of the Sassanids in the 7th to 3rd centuries BC._

_16) Son of Ammon – Alexander the Great. When Alexander visited the oracle shortly after becoming pharaoh of Egypt, he was greeted as the son of Zeus-Ammon. The god Ammon, ‘lord of good council’ was was represented by a ram at his oracle at the Oasis of Siwa in the Libyan desert. Already equated by the Egyptians with Amun-Ra, ‘the hidden one’, the creator god, the Greeks easily assimilated Ammon with Zeus. [There may have been a pun in this, since ammos was the Greek word for sand, they were calling the god Sandy Zeus.] Through his mother, Olympias, Alexander already claimed descent from Zeus through the demi-god Hercules and after his death he was depicted with rams horns._

_17) Cyrus the Great (590-529 BC) The Achaemenid king who overthrew Media (modern Iran) and assumed the title King of Persia. Babylon became the administrative capital under his successor, Darius the Great.  _

_18) Siavosh – old Persian name meaning ‘possessing many stallions’. For some reason the author seemed to find this amusing._

 


End file.
